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SPORTS
Thursday, August 17, 1989
Gilbert Set To
Defend Title
Catcher On The Fly
9y BOB
Post Staff Writer
Craig Gilbert, a wiry young left
hander who plays the game of
golf beyond his seemingly young
years, will defend his Par Bust
ers title this weekend.
The Par Busters Golf group
along with the people at Bud-
welser will sponsor their sixth
annual open j golf tournament
Saturday and Sunday, August
19-20, at the long and treacher
ous Renaissance Park Golf
Course.
Gilbert finished sixth In 1986
at Eastwood Golf Course with a
two day score of 149. He did not
enter In 1987 when the tourna
ment was played at the 6,510-
5TM'd Pawtucket! Golf Course.
However, In 1988 the tourna
ment returned to Eastwood -
conceivably Craig's home court
- and the UNCC student pro
ceeded to* strip the short course
like t}^lng paper through a
shredder,
Gilbert'backed up, a two under
par rounp 69, the flret day with a
nine under “par 62 to win the
tournament by eight strokes
over Beau Brown.
Since Budwelser aind the Par
Busters linked In 1^4 - chang
ing the tournament name from
Greater Giiertown Open - the
tournament has had four cham
pions. Haywood Stevenson won
the Inaugural tourney with a
two-day score of 141, at Paw-
tuckett
Donald Littlejohn won the
ralned-shortened "85 tourna
ment with a score of 67, also
played at Pawtuckett. Hany Jet
er carded a two-day roimd of 139
to win In 1986. In 1987 Donald
Littlejohn brought Pawtuckett to
Its knees with a seven under par
round of 137, and the Craig Gil
bert heroics In 1988.
winning the tournament Itself
will be an arduous struggle at
best because of the strong field
and toughness of the course, let
alone repeating as champion.
Donald Uttlejohn, who's resting
on his laurels after his victory in
Charlotte's City Amateur Tour
nament, will- try to Improve on
his third place finish last year.
Phil Neely, a true competitor
In every sense of the word, wUl
be seeking his first Budwelser-
Par Busters victory. He's fin
ished second, third and fourth,
respectively. Tom Polito, anoth
er competitor who has experi
enced slivers of success, will be
looking for his first victory In the
open tourney. He's finished sec
ond, third, fifth and sixth.
Then, there Is the young
Shawn Sanders, a yormg college
student with extraordinary abil
ity, but a temperament that hin
ders his success. If the two
(ability and temperament) co-
habltate this weekend, Shawn
will surprise a lot of people.
If these four contenders are
not enough there Is a field of
over 100 players vying for the
big trophy and other amenities
that go along with winning the
Open.
Tee times for this event will be
8 a.m. til 12:45 p.m. each day.
The tournament will comprise
she amateur flights with an 18-
hole women's flight at Revolu
tion Park, a closest-to-the-pin
contest and a social gathering
at the Excelsior Club on Beat-
ties Ford Road will be held Sat
urday night. The public Is Invit
ed.
Photo/CALVIN FERGUSON
Joe Weinberg iikes Smith's chances this football season: "We have the right attitude this 3rear."
Smith Receiver Joe Weinberg Wants Golden Bulls To Erase Poor Seasons
By HERB WHITE
Post Sports Editor
Joe Weinberg has seen his reputation grow as a football pass-
catcher, but he would rather see Johnson C. Smith's program reverse
Its sliding fortunes.
Weinberg, an all-CIAA selection last season, caught 36 passes for a
15.9-yards-per-catch average and five touchdowns. His goal this yesir
is to help the Golden Bulls to Its first winning season since 1981.
"I'd like to repeat (as all-conference), definitely," he said. "But I'd
rather see us win the ClAA I've wanted that since I got here."
When Smith opened preseason drills last week, the talk on the field
was a new attitude, with a crop of freshmen and underclassmen that
are more focused on erasing the memory of a nightmarish 2-7-1 sea
son.
"We have the right attitude this year," Weinberg said. "Last year was
old school. We're new school this year."
The Bulls, who open Sept. 2 at Bowie State, wUl need a potent pass
ing attack to keep pace with the likes of two-time defending league
champion Winston-Salem State. Weinberg expects to be junior quar
terback Maurice Flowers's main target, which means he'll likely get
more attention from defensive backs than last year. With the depar
ture of last year's reception leader Marvin Bartee (50 catches and five
touchdowns), Weinberg wlU have to find new ways to shake defenders
to get open.
"I'm going to work even harder," he said. 'They'll probably play me
like they played Bartee last year. That'll open up things for Rodney
Martin Martin, Ronald Meadows eind the other guys,"
Flowers, who threw for 1,001 yards last season, will be the key to
Smith's offense. He has developed Into a more confident player,
Weinberg said, which should help the Bulls score more points.
"Maurice has matured a lot. He's taking the leadership role," Wein
berg said. "He's going to be the backbone of the offense."
The 6-1, 185-pound Weinberg doesn't have blazing speed, but has
developed into one of the best pass-catchers in the CIAA He said It's
not so much how fast a receiver gets to a spot, but what Is done to get
there.
"I consider myself a control receiver," he said. "I've got game speed.
I'm not a 4.2 or 4.3 (In the 40-yard dash). It's just somehow, I get
op>en." !
Weinberg's exploits have already been noticed outside the CIAA. He
was nsimed a preseason All-American by a national publication, but
that doesn't carry much weight, he said.
'When I heard about It, I was surprised. But I don't think they
should have preseason All-Americans," he said. 'They should wait
until after the season when you've played."
With the season less than three weeks away, Weinberg Is confident
he’ll have a good year. But he realizes It's going to be a difficult one as
well.
'TU just take ft one step at a time," he said. "Just do what It takes to
have a successful season."
Steroid Spotlight Is Focused On Preps
ByA.C. TURNER
Post Staff Writer
When sprinter Ben Johnson
tested positive for steroids after
decisively winning the 100-
meter dash at the 1988 Summer
Olympics, concern Increased
about the abuse of prescription
drugs by athletes.
The concern Is now focused on
high school athletes who use
steroids to improve their perfor
mance and receive college
scholarships.
Charlotte endocrinologist
Stuart Tucker says the most
common steroids used by high
school athletes are androgens
and anabolics, each of which
can be dangerous when not used
properly.
"TTiese drugs are used to treat
low hormone levels In males,
some anemias, and some can
cer. When they are used to pro
mote just muscle gain they can
have an adverse effect," he said.
"While the steroids Increase
the size and strength of the ath
lete, he can contract illnesses
such as liver cancer from using
oral plUs and AIDS and hepati
tis by Injecting," Tucker said.
Doctor Deborah Scott warns
that athletes who abuse ster
oids risk serious diseases and
conditions thdt they might not
be aware of.
"While athletes are taking
steroids to get an artificial edge
and accelerate their growth,
they can acquire long-term
muscle weakness, cataracts In
eyes, heart damage, ulcers. In
fertility—any number of things,"
Scott said.
"In addition to the physical
side effects, androgens and ana
bolics Can be mentally additive,"
pharmacist Karen Dayer said. '
Athletes who have chosen not
to use an artificial means of
building muscle admit that the
oppurtunlly to cheat Is present.
"I know guys who people say
are on steroids. I don't feel like I
have to use them. I hear that you
can go bald and I like having
hair," senior West Charlotte
football player Donnie Surratt
said.
The 5-10, 205-pound Surratt
says he has often been accused
of being on steroids by frelnds
but maintains that he has never
considered using them.
" You can get steroids as easy
Phil Neely
Ribbs And His Eagle Are Set To Fly
From Staff Reports
TORRANCE, CA - Willy T.
Ribbs and the Toyota Eagle
built by Dan Gurney's All Ameri
can Racers are beginning to
soar.
Ribbs, the premier black race
driver In the coimtry, piloted the
car to a fourth place qualifying
position at Portland Interna
tional Raceway July 30. He and
Rocky Moran teamed to guide
the car to an eighth place finish.
'This Is the best the car has
ever felt," said Ribbs, 32, of San
Jose, after the qualifying ses
sion. 'We've had some teething
problems, but now that the
chassis Is working and we are
getting good power, this car can
really move.”
With six years of experience In
the GTU and GTO categories,
Toyota opted to move to the
hipest class of racing In the In-
tematloned Motor Sports Asso
ciation - Camel GTP. Two cars
are bring campaigned, a former
Group C car which has proven
to be quite fast, winning pole po-
Ribbs
sltions at Road Atlanta and
Lime Rock, and the Toyota Eagle
which was designed and con
structed by Gurney's shop.
The best finish for the Eagle
this year Is fifth place at Mld-
Ohlo, but hopes are high for
even better performances at the
remaining five races.
Says team owner Gurney, 'The
lap times we were running at
Portland were right on with the
leaders, which pleases us to no
end. Now that we seem to be on
track with the car, we are hoping
to do some fine tuning and be In
the front of the pack In the com
ing races."
Gurney, who has been in
charge of Toyota's IMSA efforts
since 1983, hired Ribbs In 1987
to drive a Cellca Turbo In the
GTO class. In addition to win
ning numerous races, Ribbs was
voted by the media to win the
Norelco Driver's Cup In both
1987 and 1988 for his outstand
ing driving.
"Driving a GTO car is like being
a rodeo cowboy," says Ribbs.
'You can throw it around, let it
buck and be a little rough. But
driving In GTP is like riding a
thoroughbred in the Kentucky
Derby. Every move has to be
smooth and graceful or the car
won't do what you want.
"My goal for this year was to
run wiffi the dogs," says Ribbs.
Photo/CALVIN FERGUSON
Benny Cureton (21) returns an interception in the«Charlotte Barons' 58-7 win over Harrisburg.